After the leadoff hitter struck out to start the game, Bartram Trail unleashed what its opponents had to feel was a death-by-a-dozen-doubles hitting approach to Monday’s Class 6A regional quarterfinal.

The next 23 Bears hitters all put the ball in play. That pressure on the Forrest (17-9) defense was enough to lift Bartram Trail to a 7-1 win Monday night on Jacksonville’s westside.

During the course of that hit parade, the Bears (19-9) scored four runs and chased Rebels ace Robert Girgis from the game.

“They were putting the ball in play. There was nothing we could do about it,” said Forrest’s first-year coach Tony Voiro. “They put the bat on the ball and it where we weren’t. Their pitcher was throwing strikes, throwing his off speed for strikes and we couldn’t do anything with it.

“He had command of his strikes and command of us.”

The pitcher Voiro referenced was Bartram Trail ace Dalton Whitaker. The senior right-hander was dominant, allowing one hit and one unearned run. He retired 15 straight batters before Jordan Voiro reached on an error in the bottom of the seventh.

Whitaker’s line: One hit, one unearned run, three strikeouts and one walk. Perhaps, more importantly, he went the distance, which allowed the Bears to preserve it’s plethora of pitching options for Wednesday’s regional semifinal.

“If we get in any trouble, we’re really deep in the pen now,” Whitaker said. “Either way, we would have been deep because our bullpen is very good. Being that we didn’t have to use the bullpen (Monday) was good and it helps us a lot Wednesday.”

The game, Forrest’s first playoff game in 42 years, was scheduled for Thursday night. However, it was postponed twice. That led to Whitaker throwing his bullpen session Tuesday, then another one over the weekend.

“It was nice to have a win,” Whitaker said. “It seems like it’s been a while. The last few outings I’ve had have been kind of rough and I was looking for a good outing. We go to play Creekside Wednesday, so that’s going to be a big game as well.”

To get to a fourth game against Creekside, Bartram had to win Monday night. The Cassala twins, Mike and John, reached base six times in eight at-bats, stole three bases and drove in two runs. John’s double with one out in the top of the third opened the scoring.

Tanner Murphy went 2-for-4 with a double, stolen base, RBI and a run scored. His double to lead off the fourth was the catalyst for the Bears scoring three runs in the inning.

Blake Marabell, the Bears’ No. 8 hitter, reached base three times. Marabell was 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. The bottom four spots in the Bartram lineup, which includes Murphy and Marabell, hit four doubles, scored five runs and drove in five. No. 9 hitter Jacob Rolison’s single in the top of the seventh drove in Marabell and capped off a second three-run inning.

“After getting a couple hits, it takes a lot of pressure off and it was easier to hit,” said Marabell, a sophomore designated hitter. “With all the runs, we were able to swing away and put the ball in play.”

Bartram Trail coach Tony Sowers was ecstatic with the pitching and hitting his team put on display Monday. Conversely, Voiro was just as proud of his team for winning a first district championship in 42 years and representing their school — in the final year as Nathan B. Forrest High School — with distinction.

“Our goal was to end the Forrest name on a good note,” Voiro said. “These guys rose to the challenge. A lot of guys had parents who went here so these guys had a legacy to live up to.”